


Gone

by Rambling_Museums



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe episode?, Coda NCIS S10E08, Except the navy Gun Barge, Gen, How would the episode Gone have changed if River was Pennybaker, Human Trafficking, I had no idea what Gibbs said in that bit, Loss of children, Lots of direct quotes from the episode, Miranda Pennybaker is River Song, kidnapped character, tbh I transcribed almost 2000 words of dialogue from the episode and ran with it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:08:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22433173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rambling_Museums/pseuds/Rambling_Museums
Summary: A girl is kidnapped and Gibbs needs to find her buyer. Luckily for him, he knows just the fence to call.A girl is kidnapped and River doesn't want anything to do with it. Unfortunately for her, she made a promise.A girl is kidnapped and Rory doesn't have any clue what he's doing there. But his daughter asked for his help and he could never say no to her.
Relationships: Amy Pond/Rory Williams, Jethro Gibbs & River Song, River Song & Rory Williams
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	1. Going to need a hand with this one

**Author's Note:**

> There is so much dialogue pulled whole cloth from the show. This story also starts about halfway through the Episode 'Gone' because that's when Alex Kingston's character is introduced. All of Pennybaker's aliases (except the obvious ones) are take from the episode. I paused it and wrote them down.

Tim felt a chill run through his chest as he and Gibbs took in the photos he found on the burn phone. Trafficking photos. Advertisements.

Despite his occupation Tim wasn’t that violent and normally preferred getting suspects to trial over actively calling for their death but human traffickers were another thing all together. Tim hoped Rose’s kidnappers died horribly.

“Write this down,” Gibbs cut across Tim’s thoughts, “Miranda Pennybaker” he enunciated carefully. Tim typed it into his favourite database.

“Okay, who is she?” he asked as his computer worked to pull up any files he had access to (or could have access to if he really wanted).

“These days, who knows.” Gibbs shrugged, “Call the FBI, ask Fornell where to find her.”

“Wow,” Tim clicked open the top results, “She’s got nine aliases and a dozen agencies around the world have her on their watch list.” _Miranda Pennybaker; Susan Abbingtyre; Nancy Barnsway; River Song; Regina Havergord; Miranda Normark; Melody Pennybaker; Patricia McDraken; Alice Mottwick; Elizabeth Vanderhusen_ the next page actually had more than a dozen agencies including the CIA, FBI, SIS, UNIT, Scotland Yard, and something called Torchwood out of Wales. 

“Then don’t ask Fornell, tell him to find her. Tell him to call me.” With that Gibbs rushed off to complete the next task on his investigation list. Tim sighed and pulled up Fornell’s contact information.

* * *

How interesting, River thought she was done in DC after the last time some idiot tired to fence stolen Tolan phase technology. Of course, they didn’t know what it was. Henry van Statten didn’t know what it was either but that man was greedy for anything from outside earth’s atmosphere. Absolutely rubbish poker player thankfully.

That had been eons ago. She was still an undergraduate at Lunar at the time. Had ‘borrowed’ the TARDIS to get there. Now, though, now she had her own vortex manipulator. And her communicator had been soniced for time calls. Lucky that, really, otherwise she would have missed Fornell’s call.

River thought about ignoring the FBI agent’s plea. It wouldn’t be hard. Fornell hadn’t even known what Gibbs wanted. And besides, she was supposed to be working off the sentence for a murder she hadn’t committed. While it was easy to get in and out of Stormcage when she wanted River tried not to take advantage. Or they might up the security. How boring would that be?

But she owed him. And Ponds pay back their debts. Or at least that’s what her mother told her way back when River was called Mels.

So she riffled through her little prison wardrobe for something suitable for 21st century America, tucked a blackjack up her sleeve, and put in a call to the guard tower, “Sorry boys, duty calls, I’ll be back before you know it. And if my old man stops by give him a kiss for me, yeah?” the alarms began blaring as she slipped away through the time-stream.

River riffled through her diary to jog her memory from last time she was in DC. The Doctor might think that their relationship was the only thing contained in those pages and River was happy to let him think that, poor misguided fool, but the truth was she was just human enough to not fully recall the things she did more than 15 years ago, her personal timeline. As Gibbs thought it was only two and a half years for the both of them, it wouldn’t do if she forgot something vital.

There it was: the date, her chosen address, her alias  _Pennybaker, but Agent Jethro Gibbs called me Penny most of the time, or Pen_ . Ah, she’d had a little Maltese puppy called “Creature of Habit” apparently. Luckily River remembered where she left the pup and zipped over to pick it up. Him. Probably him.  Her diary didn’t go into that much detail about the pooch. 

She told Fornell her general area and all that was left was to wait for Gibbs to show up.

* * *

River – Pennybaker for now – heard the heavy footsteps of her follower and let her blackjack slip down into her hand. She never liked DC that much. Too many unsavoury types in politics who thought they could get away with anything for her tastes. She spun quickly and raised the club to strike her pursuer only to stop short as she recognized LJ Gibbs. He caught her arm as an extra safety but Pennybaker’s reflexes were good enough that he really didn’t need to. 

“Gibbs!” She let the dog she no longer owned greet the agent.

“How you been Pen?” Gibbs asked as if he didn’t think she was a criminal. Most of the universe thought Doctor River Song was a criminal so it was a nice change of pace to talk to someone like an equal. Even if it was an act.

“Now you of all people should know I don’t take surprises well. However did you find me?” It didn’t matter, not really, after all she knew Gibbs was looking otherwise the agent wouldn’t have found her for the simple reason that she would have been in a different time.

“Well it was easier than I thought.” Gibbs admitted, “Creature of Habit.” he nodded down at the Maltese still wiggling at his feet. Penny had left Creature in New York with Antony as a fifth birthday gift and clearly the boy let him get away with murder to be acting like that on a leash!

“I take it you didn’t track me down just to catch up with my dog.” she fished.

“Well.” Gibbs said, “Its been a while. Any chance you remember how we left things?”

Pennybaker hummed, “the words “I owe you one” spring to mind. Foolishly you rebuffed my efforts to repay your kindness in a way most men would consider mutually beneficial.” she tilted her head in a predatory angle. Pennybaker didn’t remember her wedding very well as it was tied up with an aborted timeline but either way, she hadn’t been married when last she was in DC. Besides, her marriage wasn’t what 21st century humans called ‘exclusive’ and what the Doctor didn’t know couldn’t hurt him. Gibbs was a bit of a fox after all.

Gibbs, ever the contrarian, didn’t bite, “you still in sales?” Pennybaker would have rolled her eyes at the euphemism but her curiosity piqued.

“I keep my toe in the pond. But I’m enjoying my grandson’s company far too much to go on those long business trips abroad.” She smiled thinking of the Doctor’s response to being called a grandson. It would be a laugh. Pennybaker resolved to call him it to his face if they met at the right time in the future.

Gibbs chuckled, “That and your passport got revoked.” Pennybaker just stopped herself from boasting about how something as flimsy as a passport never stopped her before. It wouldn’t do to tempt the fates after all.

The pair had been walking along to an Air B’n’B that sprung up in the apartment that Pennybaker ‘lived’ in. She stopped them now to get to the meat of why she was there, “Okay, just out of curiosity, what sort of merchandise are you looking to move?” Gibbs had always been an odd sort. Willing to bend the rules to benefit himself – or more likely his friends. Still it was odd to think of this particularly  self-righteous man  readily admitting to needing a fence. 

Gibbs rocked back, “oh,” his eyebrows went up betraying faint surprise, “Its not for me. Someone I’m after.” He quickly corrected and that made much more sense. Using ‘Miranda Pennybaker’ as a CI was much more Gibbs’ speed, “A young girl.”

“You know I still have this blackjack up my sleeve.” River asked with just a touch of threat. She knew Gibbs wouldn’t have asked that if he knew her personal history with human trafficking but there we are.

“Miranda,” Gibbs said, “I assumed you sell everything from stolen jewels to that old navy gun barge.”

“But never a girl.” River couldn’t keep the disgust from her voice, “Come on Gibbs. Of the few things I won’t do for profit human trafficking tops the list.” Creature of Habit whined at River’s feet. She took the opportunity to break eye contact with Gibbs and blink away her gathered tears. Therapy. She should find a therapist.

“Hey, I meant nothing by it, okay?” Just like an agent. Thoughtlessly accusing innocent archaeologists of human trafficking, ‘This is a young girl, she’s barely 16,” he plead with Pennybaker, “She’s got parents who care. She could be halfway around the world as far as I know.

“The only reason I thought of you... Hell, what can I say? Time for a Hail Mary.” He broke off embarrassed.

Pennybaker smiled, “Or a Hail Miranda.” She chewed her lip and flipped mentally through her diary. Capital cities drew the dregs of society to them like metal filings to magnets. Pennybaker must know at least one person in this town worth questioning. If she didn’t, she’d get to know someone.

“I will Hail whatever you’ve got.”

Pennybaker hummed, “You said her parents care? Are you having trouble with them because I know a guy whose pretty good at counselling.”

“I’ll have to vet him.”

“Oh very well. Rory Williams, a nurse from Leadworth, England. Actually,” she hummed, “Yes that should be enough to get your little minions on the right track. As for the girl,” she bit her lip and thought for a moment, ah, yes, that one would do nicely, “I do know someone. He’s not into that particular abomination but, he certainly may know some people who are.” 

“So you’re with me?” Gibbs asked hopefully. Pennybaker sighed heavily.

“Just when I thought I was out you drag me back in again. You wretched man.” Pennybaker shooed him off as she entered her Air B’n’B. Now to go pick up her dad, get him up to speed, return Creature of Habit, and set up a meet with one of DC’s bottom feeders. And she should take a closer look at her diary too.

* * *

“Mother, it is fine,” River always felt a little flutter in her hearts when she got the chance to call Amy that. Madam Kavorian made sure River had terrible memories of every ‘mom’ ‘mommy’ ‘mum’ and ‘mam’ she ever interacted with. Tried to sour the young Melody Pond to the idea of finding her birth parents by ensuring every interaction she had with a ‘parent’ was a bad one. But Melody remembered the stories about her dad that her mother told her the day she was born all those years in the future. For her own sanity, though, she stuck to calling Amy ‘mother’. It was easier that way. 

She and Amy were waiting for Rory to get home from a shift at the hospital. River picked her days with her parents carefully. There was no need for the Doctor to get involved and she wanted her  _parents_ , not her  _friends_ . As a result, she was actually sticking to Gibbs’ time and just nipped across the ocean to pick Rory up. 

“If it’s fine, why do you need your dad?” Amy asked only slightly bitter that she wasn’t invited along on this particular adventure.

River laughed when she realized what the issues really was. “ I’ll take you on an adventure next time. I promise.” She winked at her mother loving the way Amy lit up. “and I’m always going to need my parents. Why do you think I found you all those years ago. I was already well into my sixties by then.” 

“I guess its a good thing you’re a time traveller, eh, Mels.” Rory said as he quietly slipped into the sitting room. After a very short time, Amy and Rory began switching between River’s various names as easily as breathing. Sometimes she was Melody, sometimes she was River, or Mels, on various adventures she was Dr Song until after diaries were checked.

“That reminds me, dad, You’re likely best calling me Penny or Miranda while we’re in the States. The man we’ll be working with knows me as Miranda Pennybaker.”

“We’re going to the States?” Rory asked calmly. Everything about Rory Williams was calm. From his A&E bedside manner to foiling intergalactic megalomaniac plans. 

“Well not mother, not this time. I need your help. You see when I was studying for my undergraduate, I ran into a man. He helped me out with this thing, and it doesn’t matter. But he asked me for a favour and I’m going to need your help on it.”

“Shall I get my sword?”

R iver burst into laughter, “I don’t need you to protect my honour dad, no the people who need my help – our help – think you’re a nurse. A normal nurse.” 

“I am a nurse.”

“Yeah but not a normal one.” Amy used Rory’s arm to pull herself up and pecked him on the cheek, “I packed a bag for you already. River said that whatever is happening is happening in the present so you’re going to have to fly over. She’s got everything arranged.” Amy passed him his carry bag. They hardly ever used luggage anymore but everyone has a few suitable carry bags tucked away in linen closets so it wasn’t too hard for him to fake it. “I look forward to hearing all about this when you get back.” Amy wrapped River up in a tight hug, the kind River barely dared to dream about as a child, and kissed the top of her curls, “look after each other over there. And don’t hesitate to call me if you need to.”

Before Rory could respond River had transported them to Heathrow, handed him an airline ticket and disappeared between two heartbeats. Rory grumbled and pulled out his phone. _I hate it when you leave without saying goodbye. I’ll see you when I land._ He checked the ticket and sent off another text _in DC. Apparently._ River’s only reply was two laughing emojis and an areoplane emoji. With a resigned sigh Rory headed toward the security gate while fishing his hardly-used passport out of his the small pocket at the top of his carry bag. 

Last time he used it he and Amy went to Utah.

They hadn’t even been married yet.

Mithros, i t felt like lifetimes ago. In a way, it was. 2000 years give or take. 

There must have been something about his ticket or passport or something that set off alarms. The agents whisked him away from the general population as soon as he got to the front of the line. He thought about making a fuss but River needed him. He could hardly say no to River and as River needed him to enter the US legally he had to get through this.

“Mr. Williams, I am agent Sampson. Do you know what this is about?”

“um, not really, no. Penny just asked me to come to America. Said she needed my help with something.”

“And just like that you packed up a bag and left your lovely wife behind to meet up with a woman that, as far as we can tell, is not connected to you in any way?”

“Actually, my wife packed my bag.” Rory silently savoured the surprised look on Sampson’s face. The agent clearly didn’t think too highly of his daughter. “Penny is an old friend. We met, oh years ago. Well she met Amy first then me a little while later.” Rory shrugged about the details, “She’s a good person so when she asks for our help we try to give it to her. She gave us a call while I was on my lunch break” Rory lied after doing some quick traffic calculations to figure out how long a drive it would have been if they came the conventional route, “Amy packed up my bag while I cleared my leave with HR. Family emergency and all that.”

“You know she’s a criminal right?” Sampson asked as if revealing some great secret, “If you help her with her crimes you could be convicted, same as her.”

“As far as I know, Miranda Pennybaker has never asked me for help in the commission of a crime.” It was even true. Rory had no clue what laws he and River had broken over the years (other than that one time in 1969 when they were on the run, but the Doctor asked for help with that, not River).

Sampson grumbled and passed Rory back his ID, “Come on. You are staying with me.” The agent led Rory through Heathrow to the proper gate and sat next to him as they waited for boarding to start. He even followed the nurse into the men’s room – but thankfully declined to enter the stall itself.

“So are you joining me on the flight?” Rory asked as activity picked up at his gate. He was in Zone 1 (whatever that meant) so he was likely boarding first. 

S ampson snorted with obvious contempt, “No, Mr. Williams, but don’t think you’ll be able to sneak off when you land. There’ll be someone to meet you.”

2000 years guarding a box did amazing things to Rory’s ability to let other people’s opinions of him wash off him like gun oil off of smooth plastic. He smiled mildly at the agent, “wasn’t planning on sneaking anywhere.” Over the PA a gate agent called for passengers in Zone 1, with small children, or who will otherwise take longer to board to check in. Rory stood and stretched like a cat, “I’d say it was nice to meet you, agent Sampson, but I try not to lie as much as possible.”


	2. Going to have some fun

“I’m sorry Mr. Williams,” said Tabitha the steward for first class, “We got a message from air traffic control that you have to stay on the flight until everyone else disembarks.” She looked quite contrite. Rory and she had chatted throughout a good portion of the trip. Rory confessing that his daughter surprised him with the ticket to visit her in DC right at the beginning – he was surprised to find his seat only three rows back from the cockpit and an isle seat! Rory never understood Amy’s fascination with staring out into the sky.

“That’s okay, Tabitha, I kind of expected it. My daughter warned me it might happen. She’s,” he shrugged, “a character. Gets herself into all sorts of trouble but is normally pretty good at getting herself back out again. Still, I’m so happy she still calls me and her mum when she needs us.”

“I swear you must be pulling my leg. You can’t be old enough to have a grown daughter.”

“I do! I told you she’s an archaeologist right?”

A bell went off pulling Tabitha back to the point of her conversation, “We’re coming in for landing now, we just need you to stay sat, buckled in even, until someone comes to tell you you can go.” She looked so apologetic that Rory was tempted to pat her hand reassuringly. He figured that in this setting it wouldn’t be reassuring though so kept his hands to himself.

“Once everyone is gone, you can get up and stretch but you have to stay in first class. Do you have any checked bags?”

“No just this,” he pointed to his carry bag tucked under his foot rest, “I don’t think it’ll be that long. But maybe I’ll be able to convince Melody to visit her mum once we’ve got this all sorted.”

“Okay, I have to go strap in now for decent. If you manage, I hope you’re on my flight back!”

Rory pulled out the book Amy packed for him. A study on how early loss of a child can effect the father. Rory bought it when he was a student so it was a little bit out of date but still interesting to read. It wasn’t strictly medicine – and certainly not nursing – focusing instead on psychology and experiential case studies. He also liked to pretend that it didn’t strictly apply to him so that he didn’t freak himself out with far too Roman thoughts about the fates.

* * *

“Mr. Williams?” the very nicely suited man who just got on the plane asked. Rory snapped his book shut and sent a questioning look at the man. 

“Special Agent Tony Dinozzo, NCIS.” Dinozzo stuck his hand out to Rory.

“Rory Williams” Rory rose and shook Dinozzo’s hand with a warm grin.

“If you’ve got your things we’ll get you through customs quickly. I have a missing girl to find.” Dinozzo smiled but it wasn’t a kind smile.

Rory waved at Tabitha and rushed along with the agent. Dulles airport was just as sprawling as Rory expected and Dinozzo showed no desire to walk at a reasonable pace. Rory kept pace easily enough. “You said a girl is missing?”

“Yeah,” Dinozzo shot him a confused look, “That’s why you’re here, right? Boss said you could help with the father. We’ve been having some issues getting though.”

“Is he a suspect?” Rory asked.

“No. Just a bit of an ass.”

“Wants to set the world on fire to find her?”

“Probably.”

“Yeah,” Rory sighed, “I know why I’m here.”

“Care to share with the class?” 

“My daughter was kidnapped.” Rory said and stepped into the custom’s cubical. As he was getting special treatment they took the time to go through his whole bag. To his embarrassment Amy tucked his red linen tunic into an outer pocket with the note _just in case <3_. That took a bit of talking around. In the end he thought he sold the customs agent on the idea that Rory was a part time historical reenactor who managed to trick his wife into thinking it was a cool thing to do in DC.

Dinozzo was tucking his phone into a pocket as Rory stepped out of the customs cubicle, “there’s no record of a kidnapping with Scotland Yard. No record of a birth either for that matter.”

“No real surprise there.” Rory didn’t offer to explain anything further, “come on then, I need to find a toilet and then this father.” He pulled out his phone and let Amy know he’d made it through security and would message her once things settled down a bit more.

“Toilet I can do,” Dinozzo pointed to the men’s room partway down the hall, “the father is going to have to wait until we finish vetting you. Could be a few more hours.” Rory didn’t grumble about it but it was a near thing. 

As he left the toilet his phone rang, “Yeah, hello?”  He and Dinozzo continued through the airport steadily closer to a black town car.

“Rory! Amy told me you landed. That friend I told you about when I asked you to come over and help wants to have a chat. I think you met a friend of his?” Rory hesitated before climbing into the front next to the agent. He wasn’t sure if it was law that guests had to go in the back of police vehicles or just TV. Dinozzo didn’t try to stop him so he figured it was okay. 

“This friend of yours, police?”

“Yes.. well federal agent. They are ever so uptight about titles,” Rory could hear River’s wink and smile, he’d put money down on her being with the other agent.

“You could have told me that before I left home. Though you were probably right about leaving Amy at home considering what Agent Dinozzo told me.” They pulled out into traffic and Rory felt his stomach lurch. 

“Yes sorry to spring that on you but you handled Melody’s kidnapping so well I thought you might be able to help Scott get through this.” Rory nodded figuring that if he could hear River’s wink, she should be able to hear his nod. 

“Anything you can tell me?”

“Oh probably not too much. According to Jethro two toads attempted to kidnap two young girls – about 15/16 – but one of their fathers was there, he got shot, his daughter got away, the other did not.” River sighed down the line, “Now we are off to speak to another toad to see if we can’t figure out who is behind all this.”

“When you say ‘toad’” Rory closed his eyes against the oncoming traffic.

“Not literal... probably”

“Oh that’s a relief.”

“Got to go, see you soon dear.”

“Take care of yourself.” the line disconnected.

“Who was that?” Dinozzo asked, “Oh come on! My driving is not that bad.”

“That was Miranda, obviously.”

“Who?”

“Miranda? Miranda Pennybaker? The reason I’m in this country driving around on the wrong side of the road?” Rory risked opening his eyes to squint at Dinozzo.

“Oh yeah, her, McProbie said Gibbs asked him to look up someone with a name like that.”

* * *

“That your nurse?” Gibbs asked. Once again the pair were outside a row of DC town homes. Different ones in a slightly more expensive neighbourhood.

Penny tossed him a smile, “He’s hardly my nurse.” 

“Pen, he flew across the ocean when you asked him to and I just heard you tell him about the case so he didn’t even know what it was about until now.” He widened his eyes, “he’s your nurse.”

“Perhaps.” Penny allowed, “Here we are. Edgar’s lovely home. Sounds like a party in there.” Gibbs motioned her back – ever the chivalrous white knight – and rang the bell twice. A voice crackled through the speaker _yes?_

Gibbs leaned close to the microphone, “Is Edgar Hayse home?”

_Yes he is, who’s this?_ Edger asked. Penny dashed forward around Gibbs, “The duches s of Windsor!” she proclaimed with a laugh.  _ah.. I’ll be right there._ The speaker clicked off as Penny danced back away from the door. 

“Another alias.” Gibbs didn’t sound surprised, it wasn’t a question, it wasn’t even the resigned sort of tired a lot of her former classmates and professors used when Penny tried to talk about historical events that she had witnessed. He sounded remarkably neutral about the whole thing. 

“Oh its an inside joke.” she flapped a hand, “He fancies himself a historian of all things bawdy.”

“He’s not into kids?” Gibbs finally cut through the careful double talk the two had been using since he contacted her the day before – less than 14 hours for Gibbs, closer to three days for Penny, it took a surprising amount of effort to set up this meeting.

Penny softened her eyes and did her best to reassure Gibbs, “Edgar may be many things but he is not a peadophile.” Just in time, Edgar opened the door.

“Miranda are you out of your mind?” he was a shorter man, out of shape and softer than he would admit. He didn’t leave the doorway which gave him a few more inches than nature blessed him with.

Penny said, “Its great to see you too Edgar.” with the same tone she would use to speak to a particularly capable potato.

“Special Agent Gibbs” Gibbs said as he presented his badge to Edgar pulling the shorter man’s attention away from Penny.

“Nice to meet you, agent, but I’m afraid I’m hosting a very important dinner party so you’ll have to-”

“Who is it honey?” Edgar’s wife called from deeper in the house, “Invite them in!”

Penny delighted at the way Edger’s face drained with fear as he turned inside and shouted back, “Ah, No need babe, it’s just a messenger. Work stuff. Don’t get up!” He spun back around to face Penny and Gibbs, mouth open ready to hurry them away.

“Relax, Edgar,” Penny soothed, “we’re not about to tell your wife who I am.” She moved forward, sick of being ‘behind’ Gibbs. To hell with the agent’s desire for protecting every woman he meets, “Or how many times you tried to get me to sell you things I absolutely do not sell.” Edgar swallowed thickly. 

He mulled his limited options over. Unfortunately for him, Gibbs posed a legitimate threat to his perfect life. A few words from a respected federal agent would inevitably lead to a divorce if not loss of livelihood or outright jail time. He came to the conclusion that Penny predicted he would when she set him up for this meeting. The door snapped shut cutting off the noise of his dinner party as he stepped down to their level, “What do you want?”

“Ms. Pennybaker says you work for the State Department?”

“Oh!” Edgar got up on his dignity, what little dignity he had anyway, “What else did she tell you?”

“Nothing sordid.” Penny threatened, “Some perversions are best left to the imagination.”

“I need your international reach.” Honestly, working with Gibbs for too long sapped all the fun out of these sorts of situations, “Got a kidnapped girl for sale.” always so to the point. 

“How would I know that, exactly?” Edgar hedged.

“Goodness, I’m a bit peckish. What are you serving in there?” Penny took another step toward Edgar.

“Alright!” the toad held up his hands in surrender, “Alright. Just, I’ll make some calls.” He quickly opened his door and slipped inside but didn’t manage to shut it in time, “After dinner.”

Gibbs, using his whole body to keep Edgar’s door open growled at him, “I’m hungry.”

“Now!” Edgar yelped, “I’ll make some calls now. But it will still take some time.”

“We don’t have time.”

Edgar nodded in defeat, “Okay.” Gibbs let the door close.

Silence rang  along the street. Penny burst into laughter, “That was fun!” she said, not bothering to suppress her chuckles. 

“Fun?”

“You’re still fun.”

Gibbs smiled and answered a phone call from Tony, Penny didn’t try to eavesdrop but it was pretty obvious from Gibbs’ half of the conversation that Tony and Rory arrived at the Navy Yard and now  she had to go in to introduce her father to agent Gibbs and hope Rory could help that poor Sco t t character. Rose’s mother had a much better grasp on things, Penny wasn’t worried about her at all. 

“Come on then.” Gibbs snapped his phone shut.

“But of course.” Penny gave a slight mocking curtsy behind Gibbs’ retreating back, “Oh I think you will like Rory. But you are not allowed to keep him.”


	3. Going Fishing

“Mr. Pond it is so nice to see you.” Penny rushed past Gibbs into the conference room where her father and one of Gibbs’ agents sat in companionable silence. 

Rory, who had been reading, leapt up and pulled Penny into a strong hug, “Pen, how have you been? Keeping out of trouble? Gosh I can’t remember the last time I saw you.” Rory probed while playing up the part of a friend separated by an ocean instead of something as malleable as time. Well, malleable to River and the Doctor. He wished they thought of comparing notes before she whisked him to Heathrow.

“Oh you know how it is,” She gestured to the silver fox who joined Dinozzo and stage whispered to Rory, “This one keeps me on a pretty short leash. It must have been, why after that ship crashed. You remember that right?” She linked arms with Rory and pulled him back down to his seat as she took the chair next to his, “What are you reading?”

“Hm? Oh, did you tell Amy more about this case when you called? Because this is the light reading she packed me for the flight.”

River flipped through the contents page, “ No love. Just said I needed you over here.” She passed the book to Gibbs at his insistent grunt, “When did you get that?”

“Its not – look I know what it looks like but its something I picked up as a student. Never read it until now. Bit outdated.” Rory watched Penny’s face crumple a bit, “Oh Mels,” He pulled her into an awkward hug from their seats.

“You alright there, Pen?” Gibbs asked. His voice was soft. He dismissed the idea that this was some sort of a ploy as soon as the nurse used yet another alias. It was more likely that this ‘friend’ knew an awful lot more about Miranda Pennybaker than Gibbs did. Probably not more than Fornell – or at least not more than Fornell had access to through the FBI. 

“Yes, of course. The subject just took me by surprise.” She disentangled herself from Rory but stayed within easy reach, “Jethro, this is Rory, my dear friend. Family even, Rory, this is Special Agent Gibbs. He’s a bit of an arse but generally decent.” Rory reached across the table to shake Gibbs’ hand but the agent didn’t reciprocate. Instead he attempted to intimidate Rory. He couldn’t have guessed that Gibbs was the second least intimidating person in that room beating out only Tony Dinozzo who quoted a few too many movies to be truly scary. It also didn’t help much that Rory got over his fear of River Song long before he knew they were related. 

“Family,” he finally broke the silence that stretched between unclasped hands, “Like your grandson?” he directed his question to Penny with only his eyes.

“Gra-grandson! River! Is there something you want to tell me?” Rory sputtered. How could he have not only a grandchild but a great-grandchild? He was only 23! far too young for great-grandchildren! He stopped breathing for a moment, he’d lost so much time! Melody was supposed to be an infant still, not a grown woman with children and grandchildren of her own! How on earth was he going to tell Amy? By the Giver, he’d have to tell Amy!

“Really Gibbs?” Penny huffed, “Spoiler’s dear. Now, stop impersonating a fish there’s a fellow! We are here to find a young girl not gossip about things that really don’t matter right now, hmm?” Rory cleared his throat and took a second to compose himself again.

“Right, sorry Penny.” Rory locked his freak out behind a door in his mind. Spoilers meant that this had to do with his personal future. He could deal with it then. The nails of his right hand dug into his left wrist painfully grounding him back into the conference room. “Agent Gibbs, Penny asked me to come, I think, correct me if I’m wrong,” he shot his daughter a look, “Because my own daughter was kidnapped. She was quite a bit younger than Rose is but given my experience I might be able to help the father, Scott is it? Scott with his current state of mind. 

“As an added bonus I’m a trauma nurse with lots of experience helping people who are currently experiencing a trauma be it physical, mental, or both.” Rory gave himself a mental pat on the back. It sounded reasonable and was all true. Some of his experience with traumatized people came from his work in the hospital but far more of it came from 2000 years in an alternate timeline caring for the Pandorica and all the people who interacted with it. 

“And how did you meet Miranda?” Gibbs probed.

“ah, well. Um, that’s pretty personal actually.” Rory stumbled and tired to come up with something that would fit. He couldn’t very well say that ‘Miranda Pennybaker’ was his grown daughter that he met in the future – or was it the past? It was hard to tell.

“Oh I don’t think that’s going to work.” Tony said.

“It’s okay, Rory. I’ll tell Gibbs, but would you mind sending Mr. Dinozzo out of the room? It is pretty personal.” Penny requested. Gibbs turned to look at Dinozzo.

“Boss, come on! This is better than a soap.” Dinozzo responded to some unspoken command. Gibbs smacked him on the back of his head.

“Yes boss: missing girl!” He was up and out of the conference room like a shot.

Gibbs turned his gaze to Penny and Rory. Rory grabbed Penny’s hand and squeezed.

“I know that up until yesterday you thought I’d be the type of woman who is okay with profiting off the sale of a girl, Jethro, but over the last few hours did you stop to wonder why I might have such boundaries?”

Gibbs shrugged, “I assumed you had morals I missed last time we worked together.”

“Oh no, I have no morals. I was raised to be a psychopath. It’s true,” she squeezed Rory’s hand when he made a rather embarrassing groan deep in his chest, “Not by my parents, mind you. They were, how did you put it yesterday, they were ‘parents who care’. Unfortunately for them, the people who trafficked me didn’t.”

Gibbs sat back in shock. But the more he thought about it the more sense it made. Pennybaker’s multitude of aliases, the way she kept her toe in the pond of the seedy world of ill gotten artifacts and various other distasteful things despite nearing the average age of retirement. Even the way she responded to Gibbs’ questions the day before and Rory’s book.

“Did you ever make it back to your family?” Gibbs asked gently.

“Yes, they didn’t recognize me right away, but yes. Its probably the only reason I’m not a serial killer now.”

“Don’t say that.” Rory said, his voice rough, “Don’t even joke about that.”

“Oh dad. You worry far too much for someone your age.” She attempted to joke while smiling down at the table. Penny chuckled darkly and gripped desperately at her father’s hand, “So that is how I met Rory and Amy. Now then, if you are quite through with digging into our past, can we get back to the present? Edgar was only one of my contacts I still need to chase down a few others and Rory is just wasting away in your conference room when he could be useful.

“What was it you said to me last time? Don’t waste good.”

“Rule five.” Gibbs nodded.

* * *

“Commander Martin,” Tim called out to the man pacing angrily in another of the NCIS conference rooms. He’d spent the night there leaving only twice to make use of the men’s room and grab a bag of chips from the vending machine. Scott Martin looked a little bit rumpled after more than 28 hours stressing about his daughter. He had chased the family liaison agent away after three hours of demanding the woman help get his daughter back. 

N o matter what the agents told the man, he thought that any agent not outside opening doors and looking under rocks wasn’t actually contributing to the search. It wasn’t an uncommon thought as far as Tim could tell – it wasn’t often the MCT took part in missing persons cases - but is was wrong and particularly useless. 

Tony introduced Tim to Mr. Williams  and Tim’s relief was practically palpable. Tim’s background research into the English nurse hadn’t turned up anything remarkable (born in 1989 in the village of Leadworth, left for the local college, came back to work in the local hospital, married his childhood best friend) but given the differences between America and the UK Tim wasn’t exactly surprised that he missed things. 

“Have you found her?” Scott asked with a frantic, manic air. His eyes were wide and smudged with stress and exhaustion.

“Not yet, Mr. Martin.” Tim said.

“Then what the hell are you doing in here?”

“Sorry,” Rory stepped around Tim with two teas in take away cups, “Sorry, that’s my fault.” He smiled at Scott in a soft, gentle sort of way that Tim associated with teachers to children or priests to their flock, “I’m Rory, a friend is helping with the search and when she told me about it, well I knew you must be struggling so I offered to come spend some time with you.”

“Oh you knew, did you?” Scott scoffed.

“No, you’re right. I don’t know exactly what you’re going through. I don’t know what sort of anger and fear and guilt you’re feeling.” He kept his smile in place, “But I do understand the desire to get out there and search on your own. Right now, though, its best if you stay here.

“Why don’t we chat a bit, drink our teas, and let agent McGee get back to the search?” As Scott nodded Tim took his leave. He nearly ran into Tony who was skulking outside the door.

“Don’t you have something better to do?”

“Not yet. Waiting for Gibbs to escort his friend out of the building then we’re heading over to the bowling ally – got an update from Ducky.” Tony attempted to watch Mr. Martin and Mr. Williams through the frosted glass in the conference room door, “What about you McProbie?”

“Gibbs told me to stay in the bullpen, if Mr. Williams or Mr. Martin need something I’m supposed to get it for them.” he frowned. It wasn’t actually that bad – he had a lot of digital work to do on this case still and an almost equal number of phone calls to make. He didn’t particularly enjoy feeling like an oversized babysitter though.

“I don’t trust him.”

“The dad?”

“No the nurse.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the Giver, or From the Giver are translations of Roman and Greek expletives. It is invoking Hades/Pluto without using his name as he was 'giver' of life through the soil.   
> Though Rory is an atheist in Canon (and in this story) he did live a very long time as a Roman and I figured Roman idioms would make their way into the rest of his life.


	4. Going to the Crusible

“So what are you, some sort of special trained investigator that helps find missing kids?”

“Actually, I’m a nurse.”

“A,” Scott faltered, the anger he had steeped in for more that 28 hours filtered away however briefly, “A nurse?”

“Yep. There isn’t anything particularly special about me. I likely wouldn’t have even heard about your daughter if not for my friend.” Rory shrugged and passed over one of the tea cups, “’s chamomile. I figure you’ve probably had enough caffeine for a while.”

“Why wouldn’t you have heard? Its in the news.”

“Its in the American news, mate.” Rory put just a touch of emphasis into his voice altering his accent from the RP he practised for work and slipping the light hint of Scottish brogue he’d learned to mimic off Amy over the years. Rory settled himself into one of the rolling office chairs and clasped his own tea between both hands.

His was a bit stronger than Chamomile. As much as talking to Tabitha on the way over had been pleasant, it meant he was running on very little sleep himself. He let Scott rant and shout and pace as much as he needed but always responded calmly with an air of matronly concern. The sort of thing most people sink into while in crisis. Scott, being a military man, was unwilling to give up his anger and stress quite so easily but eventually he settled in to the seat across from Rory and stayed there.

Scott still fidgeted. He switched rapidly between bouncing his leg, picking at his nails and cracking various joints.  Rory watched him, picking his timing carefully, then began bouncing his own leg in time with Scott. 

A few minutes passed and Scott switched to picking at his nails. Rory kept his leg bouncing. Scott’s leg took over from his fingers for a moment before the man thrust himself away from the conference table and to the door, “I gotta take a piss.”

Rory sighed and rubbed his eyes in the silent stillness that filled the room. Mirroring was not the most common technique for calming distressed people down but Rory had been using it for years. When he was a kid he read a book about it and tried it out on Mels once. The girl had been in a particularly destructive mood after yet another foster family sent her back to the children’s home. Amy tried to calm her down but her rough-around-the-edges approach hadn’t worked.

Rory still wasn’t sure why he thought Mirroring would work better than talking but it had. After that Rory began to mirror all the time. Around bullies and teachers and his parents and classmates. Pretty soon the adults in his life thought of Rory as ‘the mature one’ even though that had always been Amy. He stopped needing to actively work at mirroring and learned to watch how people around him behaved automatically.

It even worked on the Doctor once or twice.

Rory got up and stretched like a cat. He glanced at his watch but realized he hadn’t actually reset the time on it so he meandered out of the conference room towards the toilets. He gently opened the door and was greeted with the sound of quiet weeping. He gently closed the door again determined to give Scott his space. Crying Romans holding babies may be cool, crying commanders not holding babies were another thing entirely. Instead of heading back to the conference room Rory walked toward the bullpen where Tony was nattering away. 

“You ever know anyone named Schmeel?” Tony asked River who lounged against an empty desk, “What the hell kind of name is that anyway?” Rory nodded to Tim and settled next to River with a soft smile and brushed shoulders. 

“Its a respected Hebrew name, actually.” Rory explained.

“Derived from the biblical _Ishmael_ meaning _His name is G-d_.” Penny added.

“She did say he was influential.” Tony looked like he stepped in a dog’s leavings. Rory looked up as the elevator dinged. It wasn’t a loud noise but his plastic ears worked really well. Even though they weren’t plastic anymore.

“Who is influential?” asked the woman who disembarked.

“Nobody!” Tony said with a glare at Tim.

“Shmiel.” Penny offered with a mischievous jut to her chin. Rory elbowed his daughter silently asking her to play nice. She nudged him back as the other woman let out a bark of laughter.

“Yes! He certainly is and I love him dearly for it.”

“I loved like that once.” Penny offered.

“Bet his name wasn’t Schmeel.”

“His name is none of your business.” Penny said at the same time Rory was struck by a strange though. He giggled helplessly before biting his knuckle in an effort to stop the exhaustion induced onslaught.

“Rory?” Penny asked.

“Doctor- Doctor Shmiel.” He forced out between laughter.

“Oh don’t call him that.” Penny complained, “He’s been going by John Smith for so long I dread to think what he’d think of getting a new name.”

“Who are you, exactly?” Tony’s question sobered Rory up.

“Your worst nightmare, love.” Penny’s grin showed a few too many teeth for Tony’s comfort.

“Who ever she is, I like her very much.” Said Shmiel’s friend. The elevator dinged again and disgorged Gibbs.

He came barring coffee and nearly walked past Rory and Penny but stopped in a place that might be considered too close by most people but when you are friends with aliens with varying degrees of social awareness and norms, ‘polite speaking distance’ and other strange human ideas quickly fell out of fashion.  He looked around at his agent, his CI, and the nurse, “You waiting for me Pen?” 

Penny pulled her wristwatch out from under her sleeve and carefully checked the time, “Only for about twenty years.

“You’ll be pleased to know our man Edgar sang like the proverbial canary. You’re buyer’s name is Claude Damien LaMonde.”

“McGee.”

“On it boss.”

“He’s an aging French-Vietnamese drug dealer,” Penny continued her dramatic reveal – you didn’t get to be 150 without taking some time for fun dramatics after all, “scum of the earth. When he’s not profiting from children selling his poison, he’s happily abusing them. For years he was-”

“Got him here boss.” Tim cut across Penny’s story. Gibbs gave his man his full attention so he missed how Rory’s hand on Penny’s arm was all that kept the woman from biting off the young agent’s head, “Claude Damien LaMonde. Long time resident of Hanoi forced out in 2007. Currently located here,” he pointed to the large screen where he’d put up a map of the coast of Virginia. Not too far away but just in international waters a red flag marked LaMonde’s boat, “ _the Golden Maiden_. It’s anchored 200 nautical miles off the Virginia coast.”

“Never anchored.” Penny countered, “Always on the move I’d say. Or at least I was about to before I was so rudely interrupted.”

Tim blinked, Rory bet he didn’t even realize he cut Penny off, “Sorry.”

Gibbs, on the other hand, plowed through, “You got more, Pen?”

“But of course.” Penny spun her story again, “LaMonde’s helicopter is due to arrive on the grounds of a farm just outside of Reston at dawn.” She passed the coordinates to Gibbs with a wink.

“They’re flying her out to sea, special delivery.” He glanced at the address before passing it to Shmiel’s friend, “How’s your stomach, Dinozzo?”

“Queasy just thinking about it boss.”

“Right, Williams, go get Scott. You are going with him and his wife until this is done. If we’re successful Rose will be back with her family by dawn.”

“Okay.” Rory glanced at Penny, “Um, can Penny..”

“She stays far away from LaMonde.”

Penny placed a gentling hand on Gibbs’ chest, “relax, I’ll stay with Rory and the Martins.” Gibbs nodded reluctantly and demanded a promise not to mess up their case which both gave. Rory found Scott washing his face in the men’s room sink and happily told him as much as he could.

It wasn’t much really  _they know where Rose will be at dawn, we’re going to get Connie and get the both of you there to meet her._ Rory wasn’t sure what to expect out of the commander at the news but the tight hug was much better than a fresh wave of tears.

* * *

The ride to the farm is tense to say the least. Reston was less than an hour from the Navy yard but with the detour to pick up Connie from their home meant that dawn was fast approaching by the time Rory, Penny, Scott, Connie, and their escort of agents concealed themselves behind a barn with other cars inside it and in the woods across the way.

Rory contemplated breaking the oppressive silence in the van but remembered the way his own mind raced on the last leg to Demon’s Run. After the plan was set in place and the only thing left was success or failure. Strax, bless him, tried his Sontaran best to distract Rory but Rory hadn’t been able to respond.

Instead of breaking this silence, Rory grabbed Scott and Penny’s hands. If he’d had a third he’d grab Connie too. Instead Scott reached for his wife. Who grimaced in an approximation of a smile and leaned into his side.  Rory drew on his time protecting the Pandorica to help him wait out the rising sun. This was, perhaps, worse than heading into Demon’s Run because at least that time he was part of the rescue. He couldn’t imagine how he, a Roman legionnaire, would have responded to the Doctor telling him to wait in the TARDIS. Though their military experiences were different, Scott was also a soldier. 

As the false dawn bled into a stunning sunrise Scott pulled his hand from Rory and gripped his wife more tightly.

The Agent’s radio crackled.

They were off. Scott surged in his seat but Rory and Penny kept him from leaping out of the moving van. The four of them stayed where they were until the agent driver gave them the all clear.  Rory quickly leapt out of Scott and Connie’s path to their daughter. Rose rushed to them with her hands still taped together and was enveloped in her parent’s arms.

“The tape!” Penny muttered and pulled a flick knife from... somewhere. Rory didn’t want to think about where. She made quick work of the duct tape and carefully held it while their driver rushed for an evidence baggy.

“Do you remember Demon’s Run?”


	5. Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The epilogue

G ibbs hated cases involving children. Some people who thought they knew him thought he reacted worse to young girls than young boys. But he actually reacted the same to any case with a child involved. He was more angry than he would ever admit that international water laws neutered his ability to chase down every asshole associated with LaMonde. His only comfort was that they managed to run down LaMonde’s helicopter en route and had more than enough to hold him and the two surviving kidnappers. 

He worked his anger out with some delicate carving for his latest project: toys for the annual toy drive. It helped sooth in a way that therapy never managed to. Gibbs was securing two scraps of apple wood together so the glue could set properly when he heard the door creak gently open.

“Still making moonshine down here?” Miranda Pennybaker asked as she made her way down the stairs with Rory Williams at her heels. Odd man, Rory Williams. The whole time he had been at the NCIS offices or working with Scott he put forth an air of confidence and composure that were completely gone now. It was as if he were a completely different man.

Gibbs would puzzle away at Rory Williams at some later point, “Not in years. Might be fun though.” Gibbs finished tightening the clamp and headed over to his supply of bourbon. Penny, he knew would take a measure. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to pour one for Williams too.

Penny took a deep breath in through her nose, “Smells like...”

Gibbs finished pouring his drink, “wood?”

“like...”

Gibbs passed a cup to Rory who sniffed it, “Varnish?” The toy boat he finished earlier was still curing on the far bench.

Penny sniffed again, “quiet reflection.” Gibbs snorted.

“Does it now.” Penny just grinned, “What are you doing here, Pen?”

“Oh, that’s my fault.” Rory’s tone was apologetic but he didn’t actually apologize so Gibbs didn’t make a stink about it, “My flight home isn’t until tomorrow and I’ve never actually been to DC before – last time we were in the States we stuck to Utah pretty much.” He shrugged, “River’s been showing me around and when I told her I was sorry I hadn’t gotten the chance to say goodbye after everything that happened she offered to bring me by. Said it shouldn’t be an issue.”

“River?” Gibbs asked Penny.

“It’s the name I prefer these days. Not my birth name but a pretty good approximation,” she winked, “unlike Miranda Pennybaker which is made up whole cloth.” 

“River Song. One of your known aliases.” Gibbs offered after a moment.

“Is it? That is very interesting” River hummed thoughtfully into her bourbon. Rory, however, had a less refined poker face. It really was like he was a whole different person. “Oh it’s fine, honestly, you’re behaving as if I haven’t been doing this my whole life.”

“Yes well that was never the plan.”

“There was never a plan.” Rory looked a bit like she’d slapped him. Interesting.

“You know that’s not right, don’t you?” This time River was the one with the distinct look of someone who had been recently slapped. Also interesting as Rory’s comment had none of the bite of Pennybaker’s, “Right, that’s it. You are spending the next week in Leadworth. I don’t care what you have planned.” Gibbs cleared his throat.

“We’ll talk about this later.” River muttered. With a glare at Williams who muttered back _don’t make me call your mother_. Whatever that meant.

“That pond I’ve kept my toe in.” Rory sputtered his sip of bourbon but after clearing his throat and trying again had no issues, “I’m considering pulling it out for good. Investing in my future.”

“Zebra can’t change its stripes.” Gibbs wished Williams wasn’t there. He and Penny – River – whatever had strange flirtation that simply disappeared whenever Williams was in the room. If Tim’s report hadn’t outlined the devotional relationship between Williams and his wife Gibbs would have assumed that the pair in his basement were together. 

Definitely related somehow.

Maybe Penny was his aunt or something.

“No but a woman can.” River took Rory’s still mostly full cup, and placed it as well as her own on Gibbs’ worktop. She kissed his cheek and led the nurse back up the stairs. A perfect exit.

Or it would have been if Rory Williams hadn’t stuck his head over the top of the banister and shouted, “Bye! If you’re ever in the area – no actually, try not to call again. Not a big fan of outings like this, me.” before Miranda Pennybaker – River Song – yanked him bodily out of the basement.


	6. Going Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The real epilogue

Rory sat across from River in a cramped airport cafe waiting for his flight. River offered to take him home via her vortex manipulator but Rory was worried about missing customs stamps - especially after Gibbs' suspicions.

"So," he said, "Do you want to tell me about your grandson?" During the case, Rory had managed to keep that revelation locked away in his mind but it burned like acid the longer he put off thinking about it. It bubbled up and consumed all his other thoughts.

River laughed. Rory scrunched up his nose in annoyance.

"Its the Doctor, dad!" She patted his hand gently, "I couldn't very well tell Jethro I got married to the universe's oldest child, could I?"

"Oh," Rory's acidic mind felt bathed in cool alkalies, "No I suppose you couldn't have." He felt his shoulders relax, "You'd tell us, right? If you ever got pregnant. I know we messed things up with you but we want to support you as much as we can. I am your father after all."

"Of course I would, but I don't think that's in my future."


End file.
